The invention relates to apparatus for moving a container from a first position to a second position, e.g., in a screen printing machine where a container is moved from a first horizontal printing position to a second vertical position spaced from the printing position.
In machinery for manufacturing containers, the containers are often moved either manually or automatically from one position to another position in the manufacturing process. For example, in a screen printing machine in which printing and ornamentation are printed on a bottle surface, an unprinted bottle having a generally cylindrical surface is brought into a horizontal printing position underneath a screen printing tray, and the bottle is rotated as the printing tray moves horizontally, bringing different portions of the bottle surface into contact with the printing tray. The printed bottle is then moved out of the printing position and is replaced by the next unprinted bottle. The printed bottle is typically placed either on a belt in a vertical position or in a basket in a horizontal position and passed through an oven.
In some prior screen printing machines, bottles have been automatically fed from a delivery chute to the horizontal print position and automatically discharged to horizontally moving baskets. In some less-expensive screen printing machines, the bottles have been manually fed into the horizontal print position and manually removed and placed in a vertical position for transport to an oven. Bottle grippers used in automatic apparatus engage the bottles by members that are inserted into the bottle openings.